And down on your knees
by Casketta
Summary: Sometimes the ones who sacrifice the most will give themselves up to protect the ones they love. Slight songfic and deathfic.


And down on your knees, _you don't look as tall_

Izumo hates this feeling, this feeling of wanting something- and being able to obtain it- but you're just out of fingers reach, centimeters turn into millimeters and perhaps they turn smaller.

He's right behind Mikoto, knowing that this last fight could be where he draws his last breathe. He doesn't like this, he's mentioned before that he doesn't want Mikoto in this fight- this is not his battle to win. Half of it is between the traitorous Saruhiko and Misaki; their qualms have still not been settled.

The Red King laughs solemnly; Izumo feels a chill run down his spine. That is not something he wants to hear. Panic practically throws him off balance and as soon as he grabs onto the leather jacket of his King, he's disappeared.

Walking to his death as calmly as he can, Izumo can see the others hands shake. He's too young, _far_ too young to even want this. Who would die for these people- most would just never understand. But by the looks of Saruhiko and Misaki, their fight's come to an end.

They're both bloodied something awful, but Izumo seems to glare when it's Misaki on the ground, groaning and trying to still stand. His pride won't let him fall this easily, and it hits the blonde hard._ It's okay to ask for help..._ He thinks to himself, and he can see nothing within Saruhiko's eyes. He's like a puppet to them, a psychotic puppet who sometimes tangles itself in its own strings.

Munakata grins about something and speaks to Mikoto, to which Izumo pushes off the ground- starting to run. The blue net notices, adjusting his glasses as suddenly he's met with the blade of Awashima. With a flame in his hand, he pushes it away, sparks flying and that causes Munakata's smirk to disappear.

"Enough!" He shouts, obviously the second in command of Homura has had enough. Mnuakata laughs and Mikoto gives him a look.

"May I assume you do not want your Lion to go off to slaughter?" Taunts the Blue King and Izumo practically loses his conscience, he wants to burn that smug face so it never causes them trouble again. He replies instead.

He's being baited at this point, and it hurts to have to respond.

"This ain't even fair ya bastard." Awashima glares while Saruhiko smirks.

Munakata pushes his glasses up again, and Izumo's ready to cut them in half. "Playing fair is not written in the rulebook." He chides and Izumo's practically seething at such a comment. "Ya got no right determinin' who dies when! Yer not God!"

_You preach about love  
And teach about faith  
But all your beliefs are still rooted in hate_

Mikoto says nothing, although he's staring at Izumo with a shocked expression- one Izumo has never seen. He can see those amber eyes trembling along with those hands, those hands that Izumo loves so goddamn much he'd give up anything just to hold them.

"If yer lookin' fer someone t'die for these kids-" Izumo pauses, using his arms to show their many falling comrades, all whom are at least rendered unconscious. Bandou is pitifully trying to stand, trying to make his way over to a bleeding Shouhei. Eric's made a decent crater within a wall, while Kousuke and Dewa are bleeding out, in a gory way. The last one standing is Chitose, who doesn't even look he has enough energy to take a stand.

Izumo's hand then points to Misaki, who's still trying to stand and keep his eyes free of the blood and tears. Saruhiko seems to notice, but Munakata's staring through him, practically telling him to show the ginger no mercy. A grimace shows on his face as Izumo starts taking a quite walk towards the Blue and Red King.

Awashima does nothing to stop him.

"What are you offering then, bartender?" Munakata chides and Izumo's more furious than he's ever been. These are his children, his practical husband and best friend- no one touches them. Ever.

"A compromise. Ya get t'kill me, and ya promse t'never touch 'em again." Munakata's taken aback, Chitose tries to shout something and Suoh grows angry.

"Kusanagi-" Suoh's cut off by Izumo's shaky, but certain grin. "'s fine Mikoto, ya owe these kids more than I do." That's not true. That's not true.

Munakata just fixes his glasses, clearly thinking this over. Misaki shouts something and the Blue King simply turns to Saruhiko, pressuring him to put the ginger out of his misery.

Saruhiko stands his ground.

Finally, Munakata simply sighs, deciding that he has quite the interesting topic at hand. Quietly, he decides the fate of Homura- to kill a King or to kill their lioness?

"I accept." Suoh's aura practically explodes right there, a way of saying "hell no."

_They speak about trust  
But make no mistake  
They're shaking your hand while they spit in your face_

"You. Will _**not**_. Touch. Him." Breathes the Red King, he's angered just by the very idea. It's Izumo who touches him on the shoulder, causing those flames to slowly disappear, to evaporate.

Just like he will.

Misaki starts shouting again, trying to get Izumo to change his mind about it- and Saruhiko stands frozen. This was not happening...

Quickly, Izumo wraps himself in a hug- arms tightly around Mikoto. The red head is confused, this is not something they usually share- not even in public. But he grips onto Izumo as if it's the last time he'll ever see him.

Because these are not his nightmares, this is real life.

Izumo gives him a broken smile and he immediately tells him he's selfish. A laugh breaks Izumo's nervous aura for just a second as he hugs him one last time. Munakata's impatient- waiting for the blood to spill.

Roughly, he grabs Izumo by the collar, splitting the two- forcing the best friends apart. The purple tinted sunglasses fall from Izumo's eyes and he sees everything without the help of that blue tint.

He sees the vibrant red of his King, his heart skips its last beat and he's easily tossed against the ground, head hitting hard concrete. Misaki tries to move and Saruhiko stops him, crouched on the ground and shaking.

Munakata takes another glance before he seems to move, swinging the sword once for good measure. Izumo's blood runs cold as he scrambles to sit himself up. "Wai-"

Izumo bears witness to that blade stabbing right through Saruhiko, diagonally entering the others sternum and easily shattering it, letting the sword exit his lower spine. A disgusting noise sounds as Munakata easily pulls the blade from the one red flamed Saruhiko.

Misaki screams and he crawls a fast as he can to _his_ fallen friend, holding him in already bloodied arms. Izumo's shocked as he goes to stand, before he's kicked straight in the side of the face, blood dripping from Munakata's unforgiving blade.

"YOU BASTARD!" Screams Misaki, eyes full of tears and his voice is full of regret and pain. The bluet's death is slow, and Izumo can see the pure struggle behind those glasses.

No one had understood the traitor, but that wasn't fair.

"Hesitation is not something Sceptor4 looks for." He simply states, as if he had been planning that. Homura never kills its own members. Izumo gets a good look at Awashima, who's on the verge of collapsing and running for her newly fallen comrade.

She stays put.

"I don't remember killin' bein' apart of his contract-" Suddenly that blade is right between his eyes, as if Munakata is trying to find the perfect spot to stab it through him. Would he suffer? Probably. Would it hurt like hell? It would.

It's worth it, giving a protected safety to his children and the man he secretly loves.

He eyes jolt back to Mikoto, who seems to grow angrier and angrier by the second, that aura growing with each passing second. "Mikoto-" He starts, before a blade is pushed right through his diaphragm, causing the blonde to choke out a horrible sound.

This causes Mikoto's entire aura to swallow as much as it can, spreading like hot flames within a dead forest. The Red King is angered beyond repair, this deal has broken him.

The Blue King is not prepared for what happens, as it's a blade that rips right through its heart- and it's not Mikoto. It's Awashima, the blonde whose eyes are brimmed with tears and her face is so pained that it even _stings_ Mikoto.

Reisi seems to falter, but it doesn't kill him yet. Perhaps it's the barrage of various flame punches that seem to burn him, or perhaps it's just Suoh's entire rage that swallows the Blue King.

By the time Mikoto finishes him, Izumo's already bleeding out, he's wheezing and trying to keep his breathe. Awashima's calling the ambulance as she chokes back every tear she's ever had to hide.

Saruhiko is confirmed dead a few seconds later. Mikoto doesn't run to him, he runs to his darling bartender, the blonde that took care of him all through their friendship- and never complained once.

Brown eyes stare into amber ones, searching and staring at unknown emotion, and he coughs because Mikoto's eyes are still so beautiful.

He's choking, and he knows he's done.

"Ta-ake care... of 'em..." _Their_ children. "For me." He simply requests, and Izumo sees more emotion wash over Mikoto's face than he's ever seen in his lifetime.

The Red King cradles the other to his chest, body shaking as he tries to hold back the anguish and pain he's feeling. Awashima is trying not to watch the scene as she helps a few of Homura's members onto their feet, or at least into a position where they can be treated.

A bloodied hand sweeps Mikoto's face, and it belongs to that once vibrant, collected bartender who's dying because of _him_.

"'m sorry... it ha-had..._ wheeze..._ t'end... this wai..." He breathes, although he sounds like he's simply choking on blood, and not his emotions. It's hard for Mikoto to sit there, useless as he tries to keep Izumo's body warm- hoping that maybe that'll keep him alive- or at least awake.

"Love ya, my King." His last grin, his last breathe, his last memory that he captures is the man he's in love with, with the known promise that their children can still live.

_Crosses still burn_  
_Axes still fall_  
_Down on your knees you just don't look so tall_

* * *

Cool, deathfics already!

Song used: Viking Death March - Billy Talent


End file.
